Category - Technology

Back To School Safety Checklist!

School and driving safety is super important! Don’t be a dummy and lack on the essential safety checks for your car!

You know…that most wonderful time of the year when kids spend all day slaving away in school. Okay. So maybe it’s not the most wonderful time, but it’s definitely a good one for the parents! You may be wondering what school has to do with cars, right? Well, imagine the hundreds of thousands of school age students who are just getting their licenses, or are traveling to and from school and work, or even out of state for college. You’d want your children to be as safe as possible, at least, I really hope you would.

That’s why I came up with our Back To School Safety Checkup! This list will get your students ready to drive, safely…I might add, to school and home.

This girl is smiling because she completed the Back to School Safety Checklist!

As a college student, I know having the responsibility of a car is a big one! It’s completely necessary for me to ensure my car is road-worthy and safe to drive. That includes being insured and licensed correctly to your state’s laws! Don’t be the dummy who is driving illegally! However, when it comes to your student’s car, there are a few key areas I suggest to inspect to ensure that your car is ready to drive all those pesky students (or yourself) safely:

First and foremost, your tires should always be in good condition. You, as a parent (or independent college student) should check your tire pressure regularly. This helps to create a better driving experience and can help the longevity of said tires! Having tire pressure checks can save you both time and money in the long run, because low pressure tires actually put stress on them, which creates wear and tears! Make sure to check out this video on how to accurately check your tire pressure with a gauge! Most gas stations will have independent gauges that will help guide you to the right pressure! Safety First!

Not only should you inspect your tire pressure, but you should also inspect the depth of your tires’ tread. Your tread depth should be more than 2/32 of an inch all around the tire. The best trick is to grab a Lincoln….well, the copper penny anyway. Insert the penny with Lincoln’s head facing upwards. If you can’t see Lincoln, you’re in the clear and know that your tread depth is acceptable. If you can see Lincoln, well, I suggest getting new tires. Check out this informative safety video on how to correctly check your tire tread depth

Brakes are the second biggest area to inspect. I mean, you want to be able to stop accordingly and prevent accidents and wrecks…right? Most car owner manuals will give you specific guidelines on when to have your brakes inspected, but I suggest getting them checked out any time you have reason to suspect that they’re not working correctly. That means when you start to hear the tell-tale squealing and metal on metal grinding! Don’t wait until it’s too late, otherwise you’ll have to be the one to tell your parents that you got into a wreck. And nobody’s got time for that! So save yourself the embarrassment of the terrible squealing noise and the yelling of your parents. Get your brakes checked regularly!

This is the product of not checking your brakes regularly. These two cars could have avoided this outcome if only they checked their brakes!

Your windshield wipers are another key area I suggest your inspect before heading off to school. Why? Well, if you can’t see clearly you’re bound to get into a wreck (see above embarrassment rant, and then read on!) Your windshield wipers can help you see more clearly during inclement weather. Most car owner’s manual suggest that you replace your wiper blades every 4-6 months. Now obviously if you live in an area like Seattle, Portland, or even Florida (where it rains almost daily) you might need to replace them more often. This is a fairly inexpensive fix that can actually save your life! Safety is important, it should be the first and last thing on your mind before entering and exiting a car.

Lastly, always inspect your vehicle lights. If you have to ask why, I think I might just need to hit you over the head with your owners manual. Obviously if your lights are preventing you from seeing the road at night, you need to get the bulbs replaced. In fact, it’s pretty easy! I’ve had to do that multiple times in the recent college years. This is another inexpensive fix that can help you save lives. Make sure your lights are up to your state’s code, which can easily be accessible through your state’s DMV website. If you cannot find it, be sure to check out the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards website and check out the multitude of helpful information!

Headlight specifications and regulations can be set by the standards and requirements of each individual state, but all motor vehicle lighting falls under the jurisdiction of the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard, according to provision No. 108.

With school back in session, it’s important to think of the methods in which you arrive safely! So keep this little check list in mind and I’m sure your students (or yourself) will be safer on the road.

Listen up Brevard: This is your Chance to Ask Me Anything!

Do you have a question about your car that you need answered? Well go ahead,

Ask me anything you’d like about your car!

Or do you just want to know something about your car that you’ve never known the answer to?

Well here’s your chance…

So ask me an question you’ve got about your car. If you’ve got a car question…I’m you’re girl! Be sure to email your questions to our email. Click here and it’ll bring you to our Contact Us page and let’s get this started! I’ll be sure to answer it in a timely manner! This is your chance to learn anything you’ve ever wanted to know about your car.

Here’s some additional information for you–

1. Be sure to include your Name, and the area in which you live (if you’re in Brevard county of Florida, I’ll be sending you some discounts and coupons!) If you don’t live in Brevard, I’ll send you a personal thank you note!

2. Ask your question in as much or as little detail as you’d like. Ask me anything from how to keep your car running to how to properly wash the inside of your car seats. Just Ask me! I’m here to answer any of your questions! However, be sure to get a lengthy response anyway!

3. Title your email: Dear Car Girl,

4. Also, if you’d like a response from Johnny, our technician, let me know. I can totally set it up. If you do live in Florida, I could possibly set you up with a free diagnosis, and some good laughs from Johnny and Troy down at Air Mobile. If you don’t live in Florida, but would still like a response from Johnny, I can do that too. I’ll have him make you a personalized video, answering your question to the best of his knowledge (although, I cannot say you’ll be able to understand him- I still have a hard time!!)

– K, The Car Girl.

p.s. This is gonna be so much fun, so run with it! And remember, to ask me anything you’d like to know about your car or how to take care of it!

Is Your Car Yelling At You like A Two Year Old?

Ugh. Tiny humans….they cry, they scream, and they make the weirdest noises. They’re sort of like cars, although you don’t really pick up after your car. Or do you?

If your car is screaming, whining, or making other weird noises, it might mean that something’s wrong with it. Whether it’s a warning indicator of a storm that’s about to happen to your brakes, or your car is at it’s final stages of a tantrum and about to break down, these handy sounds mean something. So get ready to check it out Brevard, we’re about to list some of the possible sounds your car might make and what is causing those whines and screams!

This is Snow! We’ve recently purchased her, and along with our green bean Jetta, we’re a cute family 🙂

So personal problem: Yesterday I started my car for the first time that morning…and after a few feet from my driveway- my car let out this loud squeal. It sounded like I’d run over a poor squirrel, so I stopped, looked under all the wheels…only to find nothing. What?! My car was just yelling at me as though I’d done something wrong. It seems like my car is out to haunt me. Literally. I’d been driving this car for a little over a year now- so what gives?

This got me to thinking…how many people driving have their car yelling at them? Probably a lot, especially since these days most of the cars on the road are used, hand-me-downs, or barely new.

It’s inevitable, at one point or another your car is going to make funny sounds. The good news? It’s pretty easy to describe the sound to your technician…and if they’re anything like Johnny at Air Mobile, they will be able to diagnose the problem in no time!

Today I’m going to describe the different types of noises your car could be making and the types of problems associated with the sounds. So let’s begin, shall we?

1. The Brake Squeal.

Are your brakes squealing at you? Well, this might mean that you need new brakes 🙂 This picture shows you what a bad brake pad looks like.

It’s happened to us all at some point. Imagine your driving down the road with a couple of friends (or your boyfriend – like I was- Yikes!!) and you go to make a stop. As a good driver, you know you need to start braking at least 300 feet from the stop sign or light…but as you push on the brake- it sounds like the most awful sound coming from your wheels. Did you just run over the neighborhood cat? Nope. It’s just your brakes!

<—–You see those four holes? Well, they’d usually have a little warning indicator attached to them, that’s the sound you hear as you brake. It only gets worse, and much louder (also embarrassingly loud) as your brakes wear away.

This is the most common sound your brakes will make when they need to be replaced or worked on. While it is soo embarrassing- it’s a pretty easy fix, and whether you know how to do it yourself, or need to get to your technician as soon as possible, they will be able to hear right away…espically if you’re squealing the whole way into the parking lot. (insert red cheeks and anxious smile here).

2. The irritable grinding noise.

So you turn your car on, it’s pretty hot so you immediately turn the A/C on…and all of a sudden it sounds like there are tons of gears that are grinding against each other like an angry metal music mob. What gives? Did some poor little creature climb up into your A/C system and get caught between all of the different mechanical stuff in there? Probably not- but it has happened to me. (if you mention this story to Troy at Air Mobile on your next visit, you both will have a good laugh and she might even give some sympathy to you and give you an awesome deal on your next A/C repair!)

This is your car fan motor. (maybe- each car varies but just imagine it’s yours) Sometimes when the fan motor is going out, you’ll hear this annoying grinding noise.

Unlike the brake squeal, this grinding noise may have you stumped. What could it be? Most often, if this happens when your A/C or heat is on, it could be the fan associated with your heating and cooling system. However, if it’s not happening when you turn your A/C off…well, then that might be something your technician can diagnose for you.

3. A whining noise while you drive.

So this comes from my own personal horror story. As I said above, I started to drive away and all of a sudden it sounded like my poor car was throwing a tantrum at me! We all know toddlers go through stages, well so do cars! And my poor Snow (my white Toyota Corolla) was definitely throwing a tantrum…but only when I was driving her. This noise didn’t happen when I was braking, nor did it happen at high speeds…so what is it?

Look! A perfect picture to show you exactly what I was saying! You see that little white cloud in the upper left corner? Well, that’s what our car needed to have replaced…and trust me, it definitely screamed at me the entire time I would drive.

Well, thanks to Johnny at Air Mobile, I was made aware that I needed a new ball joint. Cool. At least it was a pretty easy fix, and now Snow is driving like a good girl again! I’m so thrilled! Seriously, if your car is beginning to throw a tantrum- making a horrible whining noise as you drive- it’s probably your ball joints. You can most certainly tell it’s a ball joint if it sounds like it’s only coming from the wheels!

The picture to the right shows you a couple of things that could be contributing to the whining noise. When your ball joint becomes worn down and rusty like the one in the picture, it begins to rug against anything next to it…hence the awful whining your car does like a little two year old.

4. Awful squeaking as you drive over bumps in the road.

Shocking news~ If you’re hearing a noise as you drive over any bumps in the road This is pretty easy to describe. It’s only as you drive over those pesky bumps in the road…or the horror of driving over those speed humps (I still shudder sometimes!). The good news is that it’s most likely your shocks. Yes, cars have shocks- and they usually don’t need replacing often, but when they do, they’ll let you know!

Shocking news! If you dread going over bumps in the road, and hear this really annoying squeaking noise- it might be your struts…or shocks! Ha!

Normally when you get your shocks replaced, they will realign your axles too. This is a very good thing (and if your technician doesn’t do that- SHAME ON THEM!) That way your brand new shocks and alignment will continue to produce a smooth sailing car.

I should also note that this squeaking you’re hearing will come from all over the car. Plus, it’s pretty hard to not laugh at your face as your cringing painfully to avoid this noise. HA! too good actually.

5. The window grinding.

Ugh. The worst possible noise I can think of (other than the brake squealing and squeaking!). Imagine it’s so dang hot that all you want to do is roll your windows down and get some fresh air…but your windows have other ideas. As you roll them down, they are constantly complain with each motion. Cry babies, I swear. Windows are so finicky…

Meet your window motor (unless your arm is the motor, then pat yourself on the back). When this thing takes it’s final turn, you’ll either be too hot, baking in a car that won’t allow you freedom unless you open the door…or it’ll make you cold. Very cold.

This is the inside of your door. And unless your manually rolling your windows up, then this baby will be a live saver, so get it fixed asap…otherwise your window would grind up and down like the worst exotic dancer.

Whether you have all electrical, or you’re still using your good ole arm to roll down your windows- we all hate that sound as it goes up or down…espically if it starts to really yell at you. This is a pretty easy diagnosis! If you aren’t using your hand to crank the window up and down, it’s undoubtedly your window motor grinding and not working to it’s fullest potential. If you are using your hand to crank the window, it’s probably just off it’s track, which could lead to other problems…like your window completely falling off it’s track.

Trust me, my last car didn’t have air conditioning, and while that was like heaven on earth during the winter months…come summer I was boiling in my car! All I wanted to do was roll the windows down, but once they fell off their tracks, it was like a constant battle to keep them up! So take it from me- if your windows are grinding, get it checked out asap!

This could be you. Happy as can be with your car acting like it’s supposed too!

So there you have it folks. Some noises your car could be making and what they possibly mean for your technician to fix. While all these noises are super annoying- some even ridiculously embarrassing, it’s always good to take your car in for a regular check up, that way these pesky noises won’t just pop up and take you by surprise 🙂

Well, here’s to another week! I’m sorry I haven’t been posting much, but I promise to be a better blogger. 🙂 – K, the Car girl.

“Why is my check engine light on?” is a question we’ve all asked ourselves and our mechanics at one point or another. What could it really be?

In today’s blog session, I’ll be discussing the top 5 reasons your check engine light could be on. First and foremost, I can only relay this information and let you know what some of the warning indicators mean. I cannot diagnosis what’s wrong with your car….but Air Mobile can!

5. Your Spark plugs or Plug wires need replacing:

Spark plugs are important! They ignite the fuel/air mixture in the combustion chamber of your vehicle, and the spark plug wires deliver the spark from the ignition coil to your spark plugs.

These tricky wires and plugs could be the reason your check engine light is on. If you feel like you can make it to your local service station for a diagnosis that would probably benefit you more than you’d think.

If you don’t replace your spark plugs and their wires it could lead to damage of your O2 sensor, ignition coil, and possibly your catalytic converter. You will also experience possibly engine misfiring, reduced power, and even lower fuel economy.

4. Catalytic Converter needs to be replaced:

Speaking of your catalytic converter, a possible reason for your engine light being on it could mean you need to replace your catalytic converter.

Your Catalytic converter helps to protect our environment by converting the harmful carbon monoxide into carbon dioxide. When this part becomes damaged or isn’t running at it’s best, you are not only risking your life driving a harmful car, but you are producing harmful emissions…which is so bad!

This can be an easy fix, but if you are regularly getting your car checked up, your service technician should let you know when it will need replacing.

Johnny, our Air Mobile service Tech, says “Don’t just guess why your warning light is on…get it checked out, just to be safe.” We agree!!

3. Your MAF (Mass Air Flow) needs replacing:

This is VERY important. Your MAF measures the amount of air filtering into your engine to determine how much fuel your engine needs to run efficiently.

If your service technician believes your MAF needs replacing. I suggest doing it! Not only will this lessen your miles per gallon, it can also lead to engine mis-fires and even worse problems down the road.

There is good news though! Undoubtedly, your MAF sensor will become dirty, with the fuel and air mixture filtering into the engine, there’s bound to be some sediment left behind. If you think your sensor could need replacing- it might just need a clean!

2. Your O2 sensor might need replacing:

The Oxygen sensor measures the amount of oxygen that is left unburned in vehicle’s exhaust system. If you believe this might be the cause of your engine light on, again….just get it checked out!

Not only will your engine burn more fuel than it needs, but you could also loose up to 40% of your fuel economy! This can also lead to other faulty parts in your car- which could add up to a super spendy day at the mechanic’s.

Ready for the most common cause of your check engine light being on?

1. Your Cap is loose, damaged or missing!

Without your gas cap, your car won’t be able to read the pressure in the fuel tank. You may think ‘Big deal’, but it is! This trusty little cap keeps the harmful hydrocarbons out of the air.

Plus, we’ve all seen those people driving down the road with their gas tank open….Don’t be like those people. If you think your warning indicator is on for a reason, get it checked out at your local service station…or, if you’re in Melbourne or it’s surrounding areas, come visit us all at Air Mobile.

Not only will Johnny personally describe what is wrong with your car, but we can also get you back on the road without much of a headache!

Until next week, stay safe Florida! And be sure to always be doing routine checks on your car! It keeps you and those around you safe from harm!